The name Godolphin appeared alongside three lots at Arqana's Select Sale last month and was absent entirely from the Goffs Orby Sale but Sheikh Mohammed returned with intent to Book 1, with agent Anthony Stroud signing for five lots on his behalf within the first two hours of trade, including Floors Stud's son of Frankel (GB) and Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}), who was the first seven-figure lot of the week at 1.1 million gns.
Andrew Balding bid 1 million gns inside the ring for lot 41 but Stroud made the clinching bid from outside for the brother to Elarqam (GB) and half-brother to dual winner Maydanny (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), each of whom also sold for seven-figure sums to Shadwell as yearlings in the same ring.
Chris Gillon has managed Floors Stud in the Scottish Borders for eight years for Guy Innes-Ker, the 10th Duke of Roxburghe, who died in August 2019 and has been succeeded in the dukedom by his son Charles. Gillon said, “It's absolutely brilliant. We loved him as a foal and he came perfect all the way through his prep. He got down here and everything went so well. Just to see him go through the ring and do that – it is the icing on the cake.”
He continued, “The late duke saw him as a foal and he loved him and thought he was the best yet that Attraction had produced, but for the colt to come here and do exactly that, the duke will be up there smiling, that's for sure.”
The late duke's wife, Virginia, Duchess of Roxburghe, added, “He has such an easy temperament and has taken it all in his stride, and we are delighted, as would my late husband be.”
Attraction was famously the filly who was too crooked to go to the yearling sales herself but she was a star on the track for the Duke of Roxburghe and Mark Johnston, winning the 1000 Guineas in Britain and Ireland as well as the G1 Coronation S., G1 Sun Chariot S and G1 Matron S. Returned to her birthplace near Kelso she has continued to repay her breeder handsomely, both in the sales ring and on the racecourse, via her eight winning offspring, which include Bearstone Stud stallion Fountain Of Youth (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and G2 York S. winner Elarqam, a 1.6 million-guinea yearling in 2016.
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